Let's not beat around the bush, ELVIS may have been the king of rock 'n' roll and the blues may have originated out of the southern states of America, but it's the UK, the little island of Britain that invented everything that we love about hard rock and metal...so, so many legendary bands have come out of these Isles, going back to the beginning of BLACK SABBATH, all the way through the likes of IRON MAIDEN (arguably the greatest metal band on the planet), MOTORHEAD and many more...most of these bands have gone on to be huge festival headliners and have earned their legendary status, others however, have always floated mid-card so to speak, and simply remain part of the furniture. One such band is THUNDER. Formed in 1989 by front-man Danny Bowes and guitarist Luke Morley, Thunder have no doubt achieved success, with top 5 UK albums, but have struggled in ways to just reach that, next level. 2017 see's these veterans return with a brand new album by the name "Rip It Up"...let's rip into this one and see what new tricks these old dogs have learned...
We open up with "No One Get's Out Alive" and despite it's ominous title it really does sound like a jolly, up-beat classic-rock number. Bowes' vocals have mild gruff qualities that give the track a little bit of edge, and fans of old-school rock will feel very comfortable with this. The message here is really about the band understanding they are getting older, it's something they can't escape and it's them admirably doing their best to not simply go through the motions, they are passionate about what they do and will always give their all for as long as they can.
The title track itself doesn't fully live up to it's name in ways too...it plods along almost methodically, fully utilizing a strong blues-inspired sound which don't get me wrong, the band are more than capable of pulling off, but as a title track, especially given it's name, maybe should sound a bit more, well, intense. "She Likes The Cocaine" on paper sounds like something the guys in BUCKCHERRY might come out with but luckily for everyone, Thunder aren't Buckcherry (seriously, thank fuck for that) and again we've got a slow, moody track, the chorus is incredibly soulful mind you and it builds up really well. "Right From The Start" utilities more of a soft rock-ballad love song approach and is a perfect track for radio, and my god the solo is on point, this reeks of emotion and provides a clear album highlight. Brilliant stuff this.
Other highlights include "Heartbreak Hurricane" which doesn't deviate too far from the formula so far, the drums, simple yet assertive commanding attention with a fine blend of electric blues guitar and acoustic for depth, and let's not ignore stand-out track "The Chosen One"...this...this is what it's all about! The rhythm, the groove, the passion flowing this track is untouchable! Coupled with Bowes' vocals this track is just hypnotic and quite easily the best track on the record. There are some less impressive tracks mind you, as with 90% of albums nowadays..."In Another Life" has elements of THE DOORS and while that's not really a bad thing, it just made me want to listen to The Doors instead...while closing track "There's Always A Loser", another piano-led effort does the cliche attempt of ending on a soft, let's all hug note...despite this mind you, Thunder here, despite having had up's and downs over their career (hell, they broke up...twice...) have proven that, when you have a band, when there is history, when there is a connection, you will always deliver, and here they have done. It doesn't change the musical landscape we live in by any means, but it's proof that, don't ever write anyone off. [7]
We open up with "No One Get's Out Alive" and despite it's ominous title it really does sound like a jolly, up-beat classic-rock number. Bowes' vocals have mild gruff qualities that give the track a little bit of edge, and fans of old-school rock will feel very comfortable with this. The message here is really about the band understanding they are getting older, it's something they can't escape and it's them admirably doing their best to not simply go through the motions, they are passionate about what they do and will always give their all for as long as they can.
The title track itself doesn't fully live up to it's name in ways too...it plods along almost methodically, fully utilizing a strong blues-inspired sound which don't get me wrong, the band are more than capable of pulling off, but as a title track, especially given it's name, maybe should sound a bit more, well, intense. "She Likes The Cocaine" on paper sounds like something the guys in BUCKCHERRY might come out with but luckily for everyone, Thunder aren't Buckcherry (seriously, thank fuck for that) and again we've got a slow, moody track, the chorus is incredibly soulful mind you and it builds up really well. "Right From The Start" utilities more of a soft rock-ballad love song approach and is a perfect track for radio, and my god the solo is on point, this reeks of emotion and provides a clear album highlight. Brilliant stuff this.
Other highlights include "Heartbreak Hurricane" which doesn't deviate too far from the formula so far, the drums, simple yet assertive commanding attention with a fine blend of electric blues guitar and acoustic for depth, and let's not ignore stand-out track "The Chosen One"...this...this is what it's all about! The rhythm, the groove, the passion flowing this track is untouchable! Coupled with Bowes' vocals this track is just hypnotic and quite easily the best track on the record. There are some less impressive tracks mind you, as with 90% of albums nowadays..."In Another Life" has elements of THE DOORS and while that's not really a bad thing, it just made me want to listen to The Doors instead...while closing track "There's Always A Loser", another piano-led effort does the cliche attempt of ending on a soft, let's all hug note...despite this mind you, Thunder here, despite having had up's and downs over their career (hell, they broke up...twice...) have proven that, when you have a band, when there is history, when there is a connection, you will always deliver, and here they have done. It doesn't change the musical landscape we live in by any means, but it's proof that, don't ever write anyone off. [7]
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